Canadiens News

World Junior Hockey Championship - Day 6

by
Staff Writer
/ Montréal Canadiens

The 2015 World Junior Hockey Championship wrapped up its preliminary round play in Montreal and Toronto on Wednesday, with three Canadiens prospects representing their respective nations on New Year’s Eve. Here’s a look at their performances:

Sweden defeated Switzerland during Wednesday’s early game in Toronto to remain perfect atop Group B. Despite ten different skaters picking up at least one point in the 5-1 decision over the Swiss, Canadiens prospect Jacob De La Rose was held off the scoresheet after initially racking up four points in the tournament’s opening three games. De La Rose and the Swedes now face Finland in quarterfinal action on Friday.

Canada and the United States met with first place in Group A on the line at the Bell Centre on Wednesday in the latest edition of the North American rivals’ traditional New Year’s Eve game. Winners of a 5-3 effort, Canada joins Sweden as the tournament’s second undefeated team through preliminary round play. Canadiens prospect Zachary Fucale was limited to a backup role in Montreal as teammate Eric Comrie got the start against the U.S., making 25 saves during a busy afternoon between the pipes. Team Canada head coach Benoit Groulx has split the work between his goaltenders so far, with Fucale and Comrie each starting two games apiece. Canada now meets Denmark in Friday's quarterfinal at the Air Canada Centre.

After a slow start to this year's tournament with a trio of losses to the United States, Slovakia, and Canada, Finland secured its spot in the quarterfinal round with a 2-0 win over Germany in Montreal. Champions a year ago, the Finns blanked Germany for the seventh time in 11 meetings to set up a playoff date against the rival Swedes — runners up in 2014 — on Friday. Finnish captain and Canadiens prospect Artturi Lehkonen, meanwhile, was held off the scoresheet at the Bell Centre, finishing his preliminary round play with one goal — notably against Canada — in four games played.